AP Government & Politics with Honors Civics/Economics



AP Government & Politics with Honors Civics/Economics 2019-2020

Unit 6: The Legislative Branch (Congress)

ANNOUNCEMENTS/REMINDERS

• Rules and Policies: As we move to the semester, please be reminded of the following:

o Food – Food is not permitted during class. Drinks, with a lid, are acceptable.

o Technology – Cell phones should be stored during class. Avoid charging your phone during class.

o Assessments – Missed quizzes and tests, due to excused absences, must be made up within 3 days

o Tutoring – NHS tutoring continues to be available M, T, W, and Th

o Growth Mindset: Continue to set new goals and continue looking for ways to improve!!

• Registration: Please consider attending our “Curriculum and Registration Night” scheduled on Thursday, January 9 to learn more about course options for next year. Course registration for the 2020-2021 academic year will occur during February and March. As we move to a new hybrid schedule next year, it is worth being intentional about planning for courses.

• JHS Distinguished Speaker Series: Sponsored by the Social Studies Department, the series brings four dynamic speakers to our campus during the Spring Semester. Each event begins at 7:00pm. Bring family and friends with you. Students are required to attend ONE event each quarter – the first two events will be counted on third quarter; the last two events will be counted on fourth quarter. Those students unable to attend, for a legitimate reason, will be offered an alternative assignment. You may choose to attend the other events for extra credit. Our speakers for this year are as follows:

o January 16 – David Reese, Founder/CEO of the East Durham Children’s Initiative

o February 19 – Dr. Martin Smith, Duke University

o March 4 – Dr. Mary Jo Festle, Elon University

o April 8 -- Mary D. Williams (Gospel Singer, Historian, Lecturer)

Topic: "Songs of Protest and Promise"

UNIT OVERVIEW

• Overview: As we move into the spring, our focus will turn to the institutions of government and policymaking. As a result, each branch of government will have its own unit and we will begin with the Legislative Branch. The project this quarter will focus on current events – the impeachment (Congress) and the primaries (Presidency). If we miss school, due to weather, check the class website and email.

• Current Events Project: Impeachment & Primaries – Given our next two units, it is appropriate that our third quarter project focus on current events. Specifically, you will be following the impeachment and the primaries. More information regarding both parts of the project will be provided in class.

o Part I: Congress (Due Friday, January 31) – Students should print, read, annotate, and complete an article analysis sheet for 10 articles about Congress and/or the Presidency (10 total…not 10 for each). Each article should come from a different source and no more than 4 should focus solely on impeachment. You will also submit a two page reflection (typed, double-spaced) which addresses Congress, the Presidency, and media bias. You must reference at least four articles in your reflection.

o Part II: Presidency (Due Friday, March 6) – Students must watch and take notes on TWO of the primary debates listed below. Your notes should reflect the entire debate, including questions, responses, your opinion, and the interactions between the candidates. You should also complete a two page reflection (typed, double-spaced), which addresses both the debates AND which candidate you believe is most/least effective and why. You must reference specific issues/items from the debates that you watched.

|--January 14 (Iowa, CNN) |--February 19 (Nevada, MSNBC) |

|--February 7 (New Hampshire, ABC) |--February 25 (South Carolina, CBS) |

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• Unit Objectives: The following objectives will guide our unit on Congress

1. Discuss the evolution of Congress from the framers to the modern day.

2. Describe the constitutional provisions that define the Congress.

3. Analyze the ability of members of Congress to represent their constituents.

4. Describe how incumbency and redistricting help members of Congress to stay in office.

5. Assess the roles of leaders, parties, and committees in Congress.

6. Describe the characteristics of members of Congress.

7. Describe the characteristics, responsibilities, and powers of Congress.

8. Describe the factors that influence how members of Congress make decisions.

9. Evaluate the strategic interactions between Congress, the president, the courts, and the people.

10. Identify the four kinds of representation; explain why representation and lawmaking often conflict.

11. Compare the differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate.

12. Provide examples of checks and balances with regards to Congress.

13. Delineate the role that the Framers expected Congress to play.

14. Describe the formal process by which a bill becomes a law.

15. Identify reasons why the public dislike Congress.

UNIT CALENDAR

Monday, January 6

Discussion: Multiple Choice Analysis/Essay Rubric,

Unit 6 Overview and Article I of the Constitution

Homework: 122 to the top of 127 (skip “American Politics in Comparative Politics,” 125-126) and

watch/take notes on The Bicameral Congress: Crash Course Government and Politics #2

Tuesday, January 7

Discussion: Roots of the US Congress

Activity: Characteristics and Powers of Congress

Supreme Court Case Analysis: Baker v. Carr

Homework: Read/take notes on the History of the US Congress (note: read only the “History” section of the website) and read No Other Congress Has Ever Looked Like This

Wednesday, January 8

Discussion: Video: The Congress

Homework: 127-132 and PRINT Home Style by Richard Fenno from the class website (Note: You do not need to do anything with it, just print it for class).

Thursday, January 9

Discussion: Review Video Questions, Court Case Analysis: Baker v. Carr

Annotate Home Style and Congress: The Electoral Connection

Complete Cartoon Analysis Questions

Homework: Finish anything not done in class

Friday, January 10

Discussion: Representing the American People: Part I – Demographics

--Articles: Home Style (Fenno) and Congress: The Electoral Connection (Mayhew)

--Political Cartoons

Homework: Read/annotate North Carolina’s Gerrymandering Puts Democracy on the Line

Monday, January 13

Discussion: Representing the American People, Part II: Gerrymandering

Video: Gerrymandering Explained)

Supreme Court Case Analysis: Shaw v. Reno

Homework: 132-139

Tuesday, January 14

Discussion: Congress Structure: Organization & Leadership

Video: Crash Course: Congressional Leadership and Committees

Homework: 139-142

Wednesday, January 15

Discussion: Powers of Congress, Part I: How a Bill Becomes A Law

Start Film: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Homework: Read and annotate the article Stalemate by Sarah Binder

Thursday, January 16

Discussion: Finish Film: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Homework: Read and take notes on the following articles: The Senate Filibuster, Explained (NY Times), and Hamilton Flays the Filibuster – and Slams the Senate (The New Yorker), and 2 Pros and 3 Cons of Ending the Filibuster (Conservative Review). Know the pros and cons of the filibuster!

Friday, January 17

Discussion: How A Bill Becomes A Law

Homework: Work through this LawCraft Simulation (click “no thanks” when asked to register an account). Write a one-page reflection on the simulation, which reflects the law-making process – summary, challenges, successes, questions, etc.

Monday, January 20

NO SCHOOL – MLK, Jr. Holiday

Tuesday, January 21 and Wednesday, January 22

NO SCHOOL – TEACHER WORKDAYS

Thursday, January 23

Library: Project Time

Homework: 142-150

Friday, January 24

Discussion: Powers of Congress, Part II: Budget and Oversight

Homework: Study for AP Quiz

Monday, January 27

Discussion: AP Quiz: Congress

Writing the Argumentative Essay

Homework: Study for test

Tuesday, January 28

Discussion: Review for test

Homework: Study for test

Wednesday, January 29

TEST: THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

REVIEW GUIDE: Part I – Terms & Concepts:

Directions: Provide the significance for each of the following concepts.

Allocative Representation

Apportionment

Appropriations Bill

Article 1, Section 7

Article 1, Section 8

Article 1, Section 9

Attitudinal view

Baker v. Carr

Bicameral (legislature)

Bill

Casework

Census

Closed rule

Cloture

Coattail Loss

Committee of the Whole

Compensation and Fringe Benefits

Concurrent resolution

Conference Committees

Congress

Congressional Budget Act of 1974

Congressional Budget Office

Congressional Oversight

Congressional review

Constituents

Delegate

Descriptive Representation

Ex Post Facto

Expressed/Enumerated Powers

Elastic Clause/N & P Clause

Qualifications and Terms

Filibuster

Franking Privilege

Gerrymandering

Habeas Corpus

Hold

House Rules Committee

Ideology

Impeachment

Implied Powers

Incumbency Advantage

Joint Committees

Joint Resolution

Law

Legislative Agenda

Logrolling

Majority leader

Majority-minority District

Marginal district

Mark up

Midterm Loss

Minority leader

National Lawmaking

Norms

Open Rule

Organizational view

Override

Partisan Gerrymandering

Party polarization

Pigeonhole

Pocket Veto

Policy Entrepreneurship

Policy Representation

Pork Barrel Spending

President of the Senate/VP

President Pro Tempore

Pro-Incumbent Gerrymandering

Programmatic requests

Quorum

Racial Gerrymanding

Reappointment

Reconciliation

Redistricting

Representational view

Representatives

Resolutions

Restrictive rule

Riders

Roll-call vote

Rules Committees

Safe district

Select Committees

Senators

Seniority Rule

Sequential referral

Shaw v. Reno

Simple resolution

Speaker of the House

Standing Committees

Strategic Politicians

Symbolic Representation

Unicameral

Veto

Voice vote

Whip

17th Amendment

27th Amendment

Framers

REVIEW GUIDE: Part II –Short Answer Questions

Directions: In your own words and with developed analysis, answer the objective questions that appear earlier in the unit plan.

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